Chapter 9: Inner Purity

Scripture Reading:

Galatians 5:17, 24

Proverbs 17:3

Jeremiah 48:11

Philippians 1:20-21

When a Christian enters the path of the inner life and is led deeper by the Lord, there is an end result that is characterized by inner purity. This spiritual experience can only be achieved after years of pursuing, letting God work, and learning day and night, but it is the most pleasing thing before God. I remember once I ate a ponkan, the flavor of which seemed so sweet I had never tasted it before, so I couldn't help but ask a store where it was purchased. This small example shows us that there are many varieties of fruits, but it is not the size and color of the outside that counts, it is the taste inside that counts, whether it is tart or sweet; likewise, one day when we have finished our journey in this world and have entered into glory, and have become the firstfruits of God's creation (James 1:18), and are letting God enjoy us, He will be most satisfied with the purity that is in us.

This message is to show us that the ultimate goal of our inner life is the purity of our inner being. Now we will briefly look at the process of how the saints achieve inner purity by walking this inner path.

I. After man's fall, his natural life became self life

In the beginning, after the Lord God had created the heavens and the earth in six days, He created man and woman in His own image. At that time, the natural life did not have a sinful nature in it. Therefore, it was the human spirit that governed the soul, and the soul governed the body. So the Lord God set up a garden in Eden in the east, and put the man who had been created there, to repair and to guard the garden. In this way, day by day, the relationship between man and God was established in intimate fellowship. Because the spirit governs the soul over the body, the spirits of God and man are in communion. However, because the devil lured the patriarchs through the serpent and ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the toxin of Satan entered into man. As a result, the order of things in man was reversed, and the "spirit" of man's communion with God was put aside, and the soul rose up to dominate the body. In other words, the mind, emotions, and will of man dominated the body.

This is how it has evolved until today, when all human beings are "I", "I", "I". This "I" is the soul. In Chinese, the soul is said to be combined with the spirit, but in the Bible, the spirit and the soul are separate. When the spirit is set aside and the soul is in charge, man acts according to his mind, emotions, and will. The whole person is disconnected from God, and the spirit becomes chaos and darkness. Since God's dealings with man are through the Spirit, we can only know God. Now the "Spirit" has lost its position, so man's life is dominated by the soul over the body, and he has become a man of the flesh.

Therefore, Genesis 6:3 reads, "And the Lord said, 'My Spirit shall not abide with man forever, for he is indeed flesh.'" In this way, the human spirit loses its function and the soul comes out to dominate the body, which is called "flesh" in the Bible.

This fleshly life is called the life of self. Matthew 16:24 reads, "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.'" This means that a person's physical life is also called "self" life.

However, when a person believes in Jesus, his spirit comes to life, and the spirit has to do its best to be the Lord, but the soul in the person also wants to be the Lord, so the spirit and the soul are at war with each other. Therefore, Galatians 5:17 says, "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish."

Speaking of experience, today's TV programs in Taiwan are very exciting, especially the serial dramas. For example, if you are sitting in front of the TV and you are watching TV, the Holy Spirit reminds you that you have little time to read the Bible lately, and the flesh says, "Now is the right time to watch the program," and you choose to watch the TV, this is a picture of the flesh and the Holy Spirit fighting against each other so that you can't do what you want to do. I am not saying that we should never watch television. As a citizen, we should be concerned about the current situation in the country and abroad, and we can watch world news reports and weather reports, but the question is where is our heart? There is one thing that we must not overlook lightly, and we must pay attention to, and that is the conflict between the flesh and the Holy Spirit. This flesh is also called "self". The life of the soul is also the life of "self". No wonder the Lord Jesus, when He was on earth, said to those who followed Him, "If anyone wants to follow Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me". This is because the life of the "self", i.e. the "soul", is an enemy of God.

II. The life of "self" is centered on one's own interests.

We are all members of Adam's fallen race, and since the fall of our fathers, the "self" life has always been centered on self-interest. But God's eternal plan is to establish Christ as the center of the universe. He is not only the center of all mankind, but also the center of salvation. But our "self" life is centered on our own interests. Therefore, God's work is to transfer man's interests to Christ, so that Christ can be the center.

There are at least three major manifestations of man's "self" being centered on his own interests:

1. Gaining honor

There is no man who does not want to be honored. Of course, a country needs a president to govern, and a place needs a mayor to manage the provinces, counties, and cities. Therefore, once the election day arrives, in order to win the precious votes from the voters, some candidates even kneel down and beg the public to do so, but in fact, there is no lack of candidates who are really working for the rights of the country and the people, but there are only a few of them, why? Why? It is because being an important official in the country is worth a hundred times more, and it is a great honor to be a dignified person! We can see that one of the manifestations of the "self" life is to gain honor, to seek fame, to strive for respectability, and to be vain.

This is the same thing even after believing in Jesus. Isn't it? Christians should be intent on pleasing the Lord and satisfying His heart in their ministry. Unfortunately, as we go from one ministry to the next, over time, it has become a matter of serving the Lord in the ministry of the Lord.

It has evolved into grabbing credit and competing for glory in the ministry, which is a manifestation of "self".

2. Grasping for Authority

Another manifestation of "self" is grasping for power. That is to say, to strive for position and power. This is hidden in the "self" of man. It is no wonder that when people get along with each other, there will be disputes, gangs, and selfishness ...... resulting in you fighting for power and me seizing profits, causing the whole world society to be in turmoil and insecurity.

The church is no exception. Today, some brothers and sisters in the church, in order to get elected as elders and deacons, secretly use every means to canvass for votes by caging or cozying up to the community to elect board members, council members, and chairpersons, which is really unique. On the surface, they serve as elders and deacons, and are faithful to the Lord with great diligence and hard work, but their hidden "selves" are secretly competing for status and grasping for power. May the Lord be gracious and merciful and give us light! However, do not listen to the Word wrongly and think that Christians are all mediocre and incompetent. We hope that some Christians will take up political positions or important positions in society, or even the presidency of a Christian who fears the Lord, which is much better than the position of an unbeliever. 

3. Striving for Profit

Striving for profit means selfishness. Who is not selfish? Even Christians who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lord are no exception. Whenever they want to serve, they always consider what is at stake and weigh the gains and losses first, and they do not really say from the bottom of their hearts, "O Lord! I am willing to lay it all down if it is not Your will; but rather, Lord, I am willing to lay it all down if it is not Your will or mine! I will submit to Your will if it is in accordance with my wishes, but if it is against my interests, I will think twice about it. In this way, considering one's own interests and weighing one's own honor, disgrace, and dignity as a prerequisite is a manifestation of striving for interests.

We can see that a Christian who serves with spiritual fervor and performs well in the church is no different from an unbeliever if he does not follow the path of the inner life, and if his "own" life is not directed. It is not difficult to see how terribly the "self" life is hidden in people.

III. The "self" life in ministry violates God's sovereignty

Not only that, but the "self" life often violates God's sovereignty in ministry. Christ is the head of the Church, as Hebrews 3:6 tells us, "Christ as a Son over HIs own house."

Therefore, every saint should unconditionally surrender to the Lord, and let Him rule and lead us.

1. Violating God by means of "one's own" life

However, when it comes to ministry, one's "own" life will sneak in and invade one's life. Therefore, people have to use their knowledge and intelligence to fulfill God's will, instead of looking up to the Lord and relying on Him. Unbeknownst to them, in the universe, when God's will passes through the earth, man's knowledge, intelligence, and methods are obstacles and interruptions to God's will.

Thank the Lord! Because of the Lord's mercy, the Church of God has laid a foundation on the spiritual path in the past few years. Therefore, every time before a ministry is promoted, we always spend a considerable amount of time bowing down before the Lord, praying, seeking, and recognizing that there is nothing that man can do.

2. Violating God with the power of one's own life

Anyone who prays little must be a person who is full of his own abilities and methods, and when he comes to the promotion of ministry, he relies on his own abilities and power to fulfill God's will. Therefore, the apostle Paul said in Galatians 3:1-3, "O ignorant Galatians! The crucifixion of Jesus Christ has been painted before your eyes, and who has bewitched you? ...... For if you were initiated by the Holy Spirit, how much more are you being made perfect by the flesh? Are you so ignorant? It is clear that there is a vision of "self" that seeks to fulfill the will of God through the flesh. Like the saints in the Galatian church, they did believe in Jesus by the Holy Spirit, and it was the Holy Spirit that moved them to confess their sins, repent, believe in the Lord, and be saved by grace. But soon they went back to their old ways and kept the law.

3. Relying on the Holy Spirit instead of talent and power to accomplish things

In ministry, if we do not rely on the Holy Spirit, but apply what we have learned in society to church ministry, that is to say, we violate God with the power of our own life. That is why we have been reminded here again and again that we should always emphasize prayer, showing that we should not rely on human talents, power, or methods, so as not to infringe on God's sovereignty. Speaking from experience, whether in life, work, or ministry, when you encounter difficulties, do you first seek the Lord? Or do you look to man for help to cope? May the Lord be gracious to us and remind us that

By doing so, we are reminded that the life of "self" is an infringement of God's sovereignty and does not allow God to lead us directly.

IV. God puts an end to "self" through the cross

Since "self" has been infringing on God's sovereignty, and this "self" is centered on self-interest, how does God save and solve the problem of "self"? He put an end to man's "self" through the cross. Romans 6:6 reads, "knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin." It means that when the Lord Jesus was crucified, He cried out, "It is finished". It means that the cross has put an end to all that we are as human beings. In other words, when Jesus was crucified, we were all crucified and finished together in the cross of Christ. As a matter of objective fact, Jesus Christ not only bore all the sins of all mankind on the cross, but also we, our "selves", were crucified with Him. "Self" was also crucified with Him, and in this way "self" was finished.

Just as this book in my hand is Jesus Christ, you, I, and he are this piece of paper, and when this piece of paper is in the book, it is as if you, I, and he are in Christ. When this book is thrown into the water, this piece of paper is thrown into the water with the book, which means that Jesus Christ was crucified, and we are crucified with Him, and when the Lord Jesus died, we all died. This is also the metaphor of God ending man's "self" through the cross. But in terms of experience, we, on the human side, must accept the work of God's hand, just as Jesus was crucified, and all our sins were taken on by Him. But in terms of experience, you and I must believe in order to receive this blessing. On the contrary, if you refuse and do not believe, you will still go to hell. It is not the case that after Jesus' crucifixion and completion of salvation, all people will go to heaven. The subjective experience is whether or not you believe in Christ's salvation.

Let's say I am sued for a $5 million debt, and a brother who loves the Lord goes to court on my behalf and pays off the $5 million, then the judge summons me and declares, "Someone has paid off your debt for you, now please sign the certificate, and if I don't sign, it means that I don't accept. It is true that someone has paid off a five million dollar debt for me, but if I refuse, I still have to keep on paying the five million dollar debt.

Galatians 5:24 says, "And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." This means that the crucifixion of Jesus Christ has ended our "self" life, but I still have to believe and accept this objective fact.

However, I still have to believe and accept this objective fact, and then subjectively, I have to accept Christ's work of curing "self", i.e. the purification of the cross.

V. God removes the impurities of self life through the purification of the cross

Jeremiah 48:11 tells us, "Moab has been at ease from his youth; He has settled on his dregs, and has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, nor has he gone into captivity. Therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent has not changed." The historical source of "Moab" is the descendants of Abraham's nephew, Lot, who had committed incest with his daughter (Gen. 19:36-37), which is an indication of the physical body. How can we solve the problem of our natural "self" which, like Moab, is adulterated with the flesh? The prophets of old spoke of Moab as the dregs of wine that needed to be cleansed, which means that our "self" is adulterated and must be cleansed.

In ancient times, wine was made by hand. Grapes were picked and pressed in a winepress to crush the grapes, and after the juice flowed out, the grapes were placed in bottles and then poured from one vessel into another. So pouring and pouring, each time to pour, there will be some residue left in the bottom of the vessel. And so they clarified and filtered it until the dregs were pure wine, and then they sealed the bottle. The prophet's analogy of Moab being carnal and not having gone through the purification process of the cross is like the impurities of unclarified wine.

From this, we can see that the "self" in us must be purified by God's cross and the impurities of our "self" must be removed. Therefore, if God is merciful and gracious to us, in order to make our lives pure, sooner or later He will do the work of refining and purifying in you and me. There are three main experiences of God's purifying work.

1. Refining Faith to Purity

How does God purify the dross of our lives? First of all, He purifies our faith so that we can become pure.

1. Temporary grieved in the midst of various trials

   In 1 Peter 1:6-7, we read, "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ," It says here that we are in the midst of trials and tribulations today, just as the apostle Peter was in his old age, when the saints of the church suffered many hardships. As we understand this truth and see the history of the saints of old, we should learn to endure all kinds of trials, whether it is the attack of the evil one, the pressure of the family, the rejection of the colleagues, the misunderstanding of the believers, the financial loss, and so on, God always makes us feel as if the trouble comes one after another in different ways, and the sufferings come in a swarm, so that we may be sorrowful for a while. A brother was introduced by an unbeliever to buy a piece of land at a comparable price, but later the price of the land increased many times, causing the agent to change his mind, so that he had to appeal to the court. After the court's judgment, the brother had already won the case and was able to obtain the land rights, but the litigation was delayed again and again, and the brother was saddened, and seemed to be in the midst of a lot of trials and tribulations. Thank the Lord! The couple was blessed by the Lord's grace in this matter, and had not complained against the Lord for several years, and firmly believed that the Lord had a good will in it. After fellowshipping with the brothers, we experienced the Lord's words, "Though now for a little while, you have been grieved by various trials while, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire". They are convinced that the Lord will make a way for them.

2. Faith being tested is more precious than gold that is tested by fire and still perishes

   There are many kinds of gold, including 20% gold, 50% gold, 90% gold, and some people want to buy pure gold. Ordinary metals are half gold and half copper, but gold must be refined by fire before it becomes pure gold. The faith of a saint is more precious than gold that has been refined by fire. In order for saints to have true faith and pure faith, God allows all kinds of adversities and difficulties to come to us, so that we can be like the saints of old, who did not panic and rely on people, things, and objects other than the Lord in the midst of unsatisfactory and frustrating circumstances, but instead, in the midst of severe trials, relied on the Lord to be strong in our hearts, and were able to be patient until we came out of the trials, and experienced the sweetness and the bitterness of the trials.

   The brother we mentioned just now, the litigation case of the land he purchased has been delayed for several years, and is still pending today. After fellowship with the brothers in the church, he received the help of God's word again, and saw in his spirit that Christians are just travelers in the world, and that what we hope for is a spiritual, heavenly and heavenly foundation, which is imperishable, incorruptible, and cannot decay, and which will last forever. We hope in the precious Jesus Christ, who is spiritual, spiritual and heavenly, imperishable, undefiled, incorruptible, and enduring forever. In this respect the brother is like the apostle Paul who said, "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ" (Phil. 3:7-8) Therefore, instead of being anxious, he was filled with joy and went on with his ministry. Having experienced firsthand that faith, when tested, is more precious than gold that can be broken.

   In the old days, the two to three million people of Israel traveled out of Egypt through the Red Sea, through the wilderness, and finally into Canaan. This journey lasted forty years, and geographically speaking, it would have taken only eleven days to travel from Egypt, through Mount Sinai and Galilee to the border of Canaan (Deut. 1:2). However, because of their unbelief (faith not being tested), they failed again and again, so the Lord caused them to delay in the wilderness, circling around and around, for 38 years, and it took them a total of 40 years from the time of their exodus from Egypt to the time of their entry into Canaan. The word "forty" in the Bible refers to the number of trials. During the forty years of wandering in the wilderness, the Israelites had been wearing out and refining their impure fleshly "self". Their wavering faith was refined and strengthened through trial after trial. Therefore, Caleb and Joshua led those under twenty years of age to enter the land of Canaan. This historical fact shows us that God wants pure faith, so He must purify the impure part.

   Let's look at Abraham, the progenitor of faith, and see from his life history how God purified his faith to achieve purity. He was first led out of Ur of the Chaldees by the Lord, and the Lord appeared to him, and promised him, "Then He brought him outside and said, 'Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.' And He said to him, 'So shall your descendants be.' And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness." (Gen. 15:5-6). However, as year after year passed by, Sarah was still not pregnant. She was so anxious and impatient that she suggested to Abraham that she should lie with her daughter Hagar and give birth to Ishmael. After this, God was greatly displeased, and hid it from Abraham.

   Not only that, but because of the consequences of the birth of man's fleshly "self," to this day the descendants of Ishmael, that is, the Arabians, have always been at enmity with the Israelites, and the Israelites (the descendants of Isaac) have always suffered from the descendants of Ishmael. From this historical fact, we can see that Abraham thought that by having a son with Hagar, he could fulfill the will of God. Instead, the descendants of Ishmael have been enemies of Israel for all eternity.

   Meanwhile, after the birth of Ishmael, the Lord did not appear to Abraham for 13 years. In the past, God often communicated with Abraham, and Abraham was called God's friend. However, since he slept with his daughter Hagar, and used the "self" method to fulfill God's will, there were thirteen years in the Bible, and there was no more record of Abraham's deeds. In other words, these thirteen years were wasted and wasted. Although the Bible does not record this explicitly, one can imagine that Abraham must have felt great spiritual remorse during these thirteen years. When he was ninety-nine years old, and Sarah had ceased to bear children, God appeared to him and said, "Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac." (Gen. 17:19) And it came to pass, when Abraham was a hundred years old, that the Lord showed favor to Sarah according to his word; and Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son, and called his name Ishmael, in the day which God had told her.

   This event enabled Abraham to experience for himself that God is an almighty God, who is able to change nothing into something, and to raise the dead. After Abraham's faith was tested, his "own" ways were gone, his "own" power was gone, and he relied on the Lord alone in pure faith.

   Further, God put Abraham in a deeper and more extreme test, i.e. when Isaac grew up, the Lord called Abraham and asked him to say, "Take now your son, your only son, Isaac whom you love,...and offer him there as a burnt offering" (Gen. 22:2) Thank God! Abraham's faith was tested again and again, and it became mature and pure. He firmly believed that he was old and Sarah's fertility had been cut off, but the Lord is almighty, and He is able to raise the dead and turn nothing into something. Now he was convinced that the Lord would raise Isaac from the dead after he had offered him to the Lord. Hebrews 11:19 specifically says, "(Abraham) concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead," So he did not hesitate, but went forward, as God had commanded him, and brought Isaac, his only beloved, to the altar on Mount Moriah, where God had directed him to go, and when he had the sword in his hand to kill Isaac, the angel of the LORD called out, and stopped Abraham, saying, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” (Gen. 22:12) From the spiritual journey of Abraham's life, we see again and again that God had been testing his faith. First, God called him to leave his native land, tribe and father's house, and to go to the place that God showed him, and then he obeyed the command by faith until the final trial.

2. Refine love to attain purity

Not only must our faith be tested to be pure, but also our love must be tested to be pure. How many Christians today love the Lord because of the benefits they receive from Him, just like a merchant who buys and sells? If the Lord hears my prayers, then I praise Him, if He blesses my business, then I worship and thank Him, if He promotes me to a higher position, then I love Him more and serve Him more.

On the other hand, when the Lord's trial comes, and I can't make any money, I don't get promoted, and my circumstances are not favorable, then I will praise Hallelujah and stop loving and serving the Lord. This shows how impure people's love for the Lord is! Therefore, God often comes to the saints through trials in order to test whether our love for the Lord is true and pure.

There was a young sister who loved the Lord and was very happy to be introduced to the Lord for marriage, so she was more serious and active in prayer, fellowship, and visiting in the meetings than before. Suddenly, the man felt that he was not compatible and distanced himself from her, and her whole spiritual life collapsed. Not only did she not hear any prayers in the meetings, but she lost her energy for fellowship and visiting, and she had no burden to serve, and she even grumbled against the Lord. I am not saying that we are stronger than our sister, but the facts show us how adulterated and impure the love of Christians for the Lord is.

However, there are some very good sisters who have been introduced to each other and have reached a point where they are in love with each other and are ready to talk about marriage, but then the man leaves without saying goodbye for some unknown reason, which is a blow to the sister, but this sister even submits to it. She deeply felt that the Lord is reliable, that He has loved me and sacrificed His life for me, and that I should live for Him, and that she should continue to love the Lord and serve Him. Because she recognized that she did not love the Lord for the sake of her marriage partner, her heart of love for the Lord became purer than ever after she had been tested and deprived of love. As 1 Peter 1:8 says, "Though you have not seen him, yet you love him. And now, though you do not see him, yet because you believe in him you have great joy that is inexpressible and full of glory.

This time I went to a church on the west coast of the United States to release the message of the Lord's love. For two or three moments during the message, I couldn't help but weep. I couldn't hold back my tears, and the audience was also moved to tears. After the message, I returned. After two weeks of this, on this Sunday, it was not only pouring rain but also hail in the area. But I was glad to receive a call from a brother who thought who would be willing to come to the meeting on Sunday morning in the pouring rain and hail? Thank the Lord! He didn't realize that the message of the Lord's love had really gone out that Sunday, and not only did the number of people not decrease, but a few more came in. He thought it would be good if half of the regular attendees could come today. But he didn't realize that there were a few more. Oh! What can separate us from the love of Christ? Is it a storm? Is it hail? It is clear that our pure love for the Lord is born of trials and tribulations.

No wonder! Madame Guyon once said, roughly meaning: Even if the Lord were to cast me into hell, I would still love Him and praise and worship my God. This is pure love. In the course of following the Lord, the Lord will allow us to face the hardships of the fire, and I hope that we can accept them by the Lord's grace, knowing that all these things are the refining of our love for the Lord, so that it will become pure.

3. Refining the impurities of the motive of the heart

The "motive of the heart" is in the deepest part of the human being. If there is an intention or hope other than the Lord's, it is not really for the Lord alone, and the Lord purifies and removes it through difficult trials. Proverbs 17:3: "The pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the hearts." Silver is a precious, it must be refined into pure silver in a pot. Gold is more precious than silver, so it needs to be refined into pure gold in a furnace that is several times hotter. The heart of man is most deceitful and adulterated, so the Lord Himself refines the hearts.

David was born a shepherd and eventually ascended to the throne as king of Israel. He had gone through many long periods of trial and tribulation in his life history. He also felt that he had become quite spiritual. He once wrote a psalm, "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully." (Psalm 24:3-4) It is implied that David was a man with a clean heart and clean hands who could climb the mountain of the Lord. Unexpectedly, while he was on the throne and in the height of his popularity, he stayed in Jerusalem while his men were away at war, rising at sunset and walking leisurely on the flat roof, when Satan caused his eyes to rest on Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, who was bathing; and he summoned her to the palace to sleep with him. Soon after the crime, Bathsheba sent word that she was pregnant. Upon learning of this, David tried to shirk his responsibility and quickly ordered Uriah to be recalled from the battlefield. But Uriah, thinking that her comrades were still sleeping on the battlefield, stayed at the entrance of the palace for the night instead of going home. Knowing that this plan would not work, David ordered Uriah to return to the line of battle and sent a letter to Joab, the commander-in-chief, imploring him to send Uriah to the front line to die in battle.

The Lord then sent the prophet Nathan to condemn David. David immediately went before God in sincere sorrow and repentance. He wrote his confession into Psalm 51. He sincerely repented of his sins and begged God, "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. ......I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me....... Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow....... Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me......A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise."

Thank the Lord! He is the God of forgiveness, and after He forgave David, He disciplined him in love, thereby purifying David's heart and motives into purity.

VI. Purity of the inner life

The last point is the light that God desires for believers who walk in the way of the inner life, that is, the purity of the inner life.

1. Christ as Lord rules over the spirit, soul, and body

Because Christ is Lord in us, naturally Christ is Lord over our spirit, soul, and body. In this way Christ lives in us and is the life of the whole man, which is naturally what Philippians 1:20, 21 says: "so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

2. Christ fills the whole being, revealing His holiness and glory

Further, Christ fills our whole being, that is, our spirit, through our soul, including our mind, emotions, and will. At that time, the mind of Jesus Christ is our mind, and the liking of the Lord Jesus is our liking. As the psalm says,

O let me think how Thou didst leave

Untasted every pure delight

we also put aside pure delights, and do not seek our own pleasure, but make Christ's rules our own. To be filled with Christ in this way is to be completely united with the Lord, not only in Christ's resurrection, but also in Christ's victory, and to live out Christ's life and character, and to exude Christ's pure life. As the psalm says,

Live Thyself, Lord Jesus, through me,

For my very life art Thou;

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